Yes it does have a kick to it. It's made for performance (is > 98% ketone & water) not to be the most delicious thing ever.
The writer's response here is totally legit -- but we've also demo'd with pro athletes, Navy SEAL's, etc. and they just knock it back, no big deal!
Like: when you say "ketone" you mean what kind of ketone/ketone ester...? My first thought when they complained about it tasting like nail polish remover was that if it involves acetone, it is nail polish remover.
Second, I wonder what this would be doing to metabolism of other carbs... I've read that using these ketone esters without decreasing carb intake might actually make things worse from a certain perspective, metabolically speaking...
Not a criticism, just kinda thinkin out loud.
When taken with carbs, as was done in the athlete studies, performance output increases because the body has access to both types of energy. The ketones are used first, protecting the glucose for later use.
What happens when it's an average person who doesn't have the same energy expenditure and metabolic efficiency as an elite athlete?